Compare · Where to stay
Airbnb vs. Hotel: Which Is Cheaper, and Which Is Better?
Rentals like ours on Airbnb win when your group fills them: four adults would pay less in one of our 2-bedrooms than in two hotel rooms. For one or two people staying one night, a hotel often costs less.
Our stake: we host vacation rentals in Portland, not hotels. The numbers below include the trips where a hotel wins.
Airbnb vs. hotel at a glance
| Vacation rental | Hotel | |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Separate bedrooms and a living room | One room; suites cost more |
| Kitchen | Full kitchen in 96% of our homes | Usually not in a standard room |
| Laundry | Washer and dryer in about 55% of our homes | Guest laundry or valet, where offered |
| Cleaning | One cleaning fee per stay | Housekeeping included, daily or on request |
| Check-in | Self check-in; your code is emailed before arrival | Front desk |
| Parking | Varies by home; check the listing | $43 to $67 a night at three central Portland hotels |
| Best for | Groups that fill the home, stays of two nights or more, pets, cooking | Solo trips and couples for one night, daily service, points |
Median prices at our Portland homes
| Home size | Per night | Cleaning | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $88 | $55 | 2 |
| 1 bedroom | $99 | $60 | 2 |
| 2 bedrooms | $157 | $100 | 3 |
| 3 bedrooms | $255 | $130 | 4 |
| 4+ bedrooms | $487 | $180 | 6 |
Bookings under 28 nights, October 2025 to September 2026. Per night is the accommodation rate before cleaning, taxes and any platform traveler fee. Cleaning is a one-time fee per stay. Guests is the median party size.
The math for five common trips
| Trip | Our home | Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 people, 1 night | $159 | $133 |
| Couple, 2 nights | $258 | $266 |
| 4 adults, 2 nights | $414 | $532 |
| 6 adults, 2 nights | $640 | $798 |
| 8 adults, 2 nights | $1,154 | $1,064 |
Before taxes and parking. Our home: the median rate and cleaning fee for a 1-bedroom (first two rows), a 2-bedroom, a 3-bedroom that sleeps six, or a 4+ bedroom that sleeps eight. Hotel: one room per two adults at the Portland-region average daily rate of $133, January to July 2025, which leaves out hotel fees such as daily amenity charges. Four adults willing to share one hotel room would pay $266. The two sources cover different periods.
When a hotel is the better choice
- You're one or two people staying one night. The cleaning fee tips it to the hotel.
- Your group needs a 4+ bedroom home. At our median rates, eight adults would pay more for two nights than for four hotel rooms.
- You want daily housekeeping, a front desk or room service, or you collect hotel points.
- You need a designated accessible room. Many hotels have them; accessibility in our homes varies, so check each listing.
When a vacation rental is the better choice
- You're three to six and the home fits your group.
- You're staying three nights or longer. The cleaning fee is charged once, so each extra night lowers the average.
- You want to cook or do laundry: 96% of our homes have a kitchen and about 55% have a washer and dryer.
- You're bringing a dog. 47% of our homes are pet-friendly, at $99 per pet.
Questions travelers ask
Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel?
When your group fills the home, usually. Four adults for two nights would pay about $414 at our median 2-bedroom rate, cleaning included, against $532 for two hotel rooms at the Portland-region average. For one or two people staying one night, a hotel is often cheaper: $133 against $159. So are hotel rooms against our largest homes for the same group.
Do vacation rentals charge cleaning fees?
Many charge a one-time cleaning fee per stay. At our Portland homes the median was $55 for a studio, $60 for a 1-bedroom and $100 for a 2-bedroom.
Do hotels and vacation rentals pay the same taxes in Portland?
Mostly. The city, county, state and Tourism Improvement District percentages apply to both, and short-term rentals also owe a $4-a-night fee.
Do listed prices include fees?
Since May 12, 2025, the FTC has required hotels and short-term rentals to show the total price, including mandatory fees, up front. Taxes can still be added at checkout.
Booking a rental? Platform fees depend on where you book. See how booking direct compares with Airbnb and Vrbo.
How we compared
- Our homes
- Confirmed bookings under 28 nights at our Portland homes with check-out from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, about 15,000 bookings in all. Rates are median nightly prices before cleaning, taxes and platform traveler fees, across all booking channels. Kitchen, laundry and pet figures come from current listings.
- Hotels
- Portland-region average daily rate, January to July 2025: STR data published by Travel Oregon. Parking: The Nines, Hotel Lucia and Hotel Eastlund websites, checked October 17, 2026; rates change.
- Taxes and fees
- City of Portland Revenue Division (transient lodging tax); FTC rule on unfair or deceptive fees, 16 CFR Part 464.
- Examples
- Arithmetic from the medians and averages above, not quotes. A hotel average and a rental median aren't the same statistic and cover different periods, so treat the gap as a guide.